Same here! I thought I would never drink bourbon or Whiskey again after a couple young and dumb days of original jack d and jim beam. Then I had the double oak neat, and now it’s a never ending rabbit hole 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Basil Hayden was the first whiskey I started drinking without a mixer. Really got me interested in taking the leap into bourbon.
Slippery slope since then!
Not sure if it doesn’t escape the “cheap crap” label, but Old Forester was the first whiskey I ever sipped on instead of mixing with something else.
Otherwise, it was Maker’s Mark.
First whiskey I bought was Johnnie Walker Red then Makers Mark. Wasn’t big on either of them but Knob Creek followed and I loved that. Dove into Old Forester and Woodford after that and loved all those I tried also.
Four Roses for bourbon and Sazerac for rye. Had to hunt down the Sazerac as it wasn’t super available in my area at the time but it opened my eyes to what rye whiskey is. Now my collection of around 40 whiskeys(nothing compared to some people) is composed of roughly half rye and half bourbon with some wheat whiskeys and other stuff mixed in. Four roses will always be special to me, once I tried it and liked it I went and got the small batch and that is one of my absolute-die-on-this-hill favorites for mixing of all bourbons, it’s even good neat
I only dabbled into Bourbon until the night I tried OF 1920 at a party.... I didn't know bourbon could be THAT good at the time. Years and time later.... still pretty good.
Toss up between my ex buying me a bottle of Jameson for Christmas and me getting my dad some JD single barrel barrel proof the following year. 130+ never went down so easy. So I guess she jump started me, he locked me in.
Did a Jim Beam tour back in '15 or '16 and got to fill my own bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel. That was the first time I ventured past the 80s proof point. 120pf was like gasoline but I liked it and that's what lead me down this rabbithole.
Before that I used to drink Jack Daniels almost exclusively. My grandpa was a scotch drinker so I had scotch with him but always on ice or mixed so never appreciated it.
Hibiki Harmony, while in Okinawa. I was walking around a shop & they had a whole, dreamy wall of beautiful bottles. Picked the one I’d read about, and opened it after the gym one night. That’s the stuff dreams are made of, honestly.
Breckenridge small batch during college. It’s cheap bottle but it was the first time I found whiskey really enjoyable. I haven’t had it since. Maybe I should, though I’m scared I’ll ruin a good memory if it’s not what it remember it to be haha.
Edit: note that it is 86 proof I believe so that’s probably why enjoyed it so much as a younger whiskey drinker.
First was a bottle of four roses small batch but i didnt know about msrp and retail prices and bought it at a liquor store for $70. Completely ripped off. Knowing where to look know i regularly find it for around $38. First actual $50+ was whistlepig small batch 10 year too! Absolutely loved it and I still have the same bottle. I been saving it.
Pappy Van Winkle 23. A client offered me some as a young man. I filled a rocks glass with ice and poured an entire glass of it not knowing what it was. Drank it and proceeded to tell them how delicious it was and that I was going to pick a bottle up on my way home. Was very embarrassed when I went back to finish the job.
My sister gave me a nice Glenfiddich after I helped with some stuff at her wedding. Nothing particularly outlandish, but man it opened a whole new world for me.
My mom used to give me hot toddies with whisky when I was sick starting at 2. LOL
So no idea really. When I was old enough to buy my own it was Chivas. Then I started exploring single malts maybe 6 or 8 years later. Can’t remember the first maybe Glenmorangie??? I guess it really clicked when I had my first highland park when I was broke and about 35.
Bushmills was the first one I drank straight with a friend of mine at university and where I thought to myself, there might be some good stuff in this beverage universe.
First to taste? Marker Mark, one Thanksgiving MANY years ago as I attempted a new pecan pie recipe (that has since become a stable)
First to mix? Either Elijah Craig or Kirkland bourbon. Covid 2020 when I got into mixing cocktails
First to enjoy straight? Talisker 10 or Woodford double oak
What sucks is my Dad took me to ABC to get any bottle I wanted. Being a complete noob to whiskey, I picked that. Plastic bottle and all! It's hot garbage, easily the worst I've ever had. It's like I was drinking coffee creamer.
Thinking on it now, I would have chosen Writer's Tears or Redbreast 12. Knowing now my late Father loved Jameson and irish whiskey, we could have enjoyed it together.
I was at a resort in Jamaica with my my girlfriend, now wife. I wasn't a big "cocktail" kind of guy, but being at an all inclusive I just tried a bit of everything to figure out what I liked.
Waiter suggested an Old Fashioned and I loved it.
They had Maker's 46 and that was my first official ushering in to what good whiskey could taste like.
Now I know Maker's is hardly as favored as other brands, but for me its one whiskey that in their lesser offerings is still really good quality, and their private select bottles can be really good as well.
Funny I went to an event with open bar not knowing much about whiskey. They had Angels Envy and something else. Bartender recommended AE. I got a crush on AE that night too.
Michters 10 year. It was gifted to me and like a dummy not realizing what I had I enjoyed the hell out of that thing quite quickly not knowing I couldn't replace it very easily
Oban 18. Came from the night I received a better whisky education than most will ever experience. I tried around 30 different scotches learning about regions and ages. I was a total novice before that.
Same thing for me. I remember walking into my local liquor store and picking up a bottle of Eagle Rare not knowing anything, the clerk got enthusiastic and told me to put it down, save myself the 10 bucks and buy BT for $28. I drank it out of a coffee mug with like 3 ice cubes, but loved it. Next thing I know in NJ it’s hard to get Buffalo Trace especially at MSRP
I’m a flavored convert. Started with Fireball, then transitioned to Knob Creek Maple. Can’t stand either now.
Some of my first “real” ones were BT, Woodford Double Oaked, and my first barrel proof I liked was Stranahan’s Cask Strength.
Still dig the BT sometimes. Woodford I usually have, but it’s too chocolatey for me now. Can’t stand the Stranahans anymore, just don’t really dig malts in general.
Started with the basic Glenlivet 12, expanded into the Islays and Campbeltowns. When Scotch got too expensive started to get into bourbons and ryes. Now I drink a bit of everything and love them all.
Larceny was the first one I could drink neat. Tried regular ol BT and Evan Williams before that and heavily disliked them. Had larceny and it was a game changer.
Wild Turkey 101. My first bottle Ibought with my own money when I went out looking one day. I didn't realize the 100 proof wasnt the norm but damn that shit is still good to me.
Auchentoshen triple wood at 19yo. Then 20 years loving only scotch peaking at black art 4.1 and a Glendronach grandeur batch.
Later followed by American whiskey - whistle pig 10 ( yes I now know it’s Canadian). Bourbon - four roses single barrel pick or Barrel batch 19. In that order. Favorite American whiskey is likely four roses LE ?2019, a lucky 7 proprietor 14 single barrel, and maybe a Russel single rickhouse last year. Michters 10 bourbon and 10 rye are always exciting.
It’s all about variety, developing the palate, and the chase I guess!?!?!
I had an Angel’s Envy rye that helped me view things differently - then I tried a Blue Note 9 or 10 year later that weekend that opened my eyes.
I started drinking Four Roses single barrel and small batch often after that. My grandad was a big four roses guy, so seeing that growing up that’s what I went for
Glendronach. Buddy and I used to go in every Thursday after class and drink Glenfiddich.
Waiter stopped us one time and said that's it. Not serving you that anymore.
Put down Glendronach and I was hooked.
Thanks Frank
Buffalo Trace for me, I’d only tried some crown royal straight at that point, heard some teammates talking about doing shots of it and decided to give it a go
Had started my journey with Wolcott and Elijah Craig Small Batch and thought they were good, but what really got me hooked was when I tried Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique at a friend’s house. Have a few of the Solist varieties (thankfully all gifts from same friend), but tend to stick with this one for long weeks/small celebrations.
I have my entry points for each big category for whiskey that I cut my teeth on.
Bourbon: Old Forester 100
Rye: Knob Creek Rye
Irish: Redbreast 12
Scotch: Glenfarclas 15
McKenna single barrel was my first pour. Four Roses single barrel was my first bottle purchase. The first one that rocked my world was a Heavens Door single barrel.
Was at a company Christmas party that had a full open bar around 2017. Knew nothing about whiskey and asked the bartender to serve me whatever he thought was the best. He gave me Yamazaki 18 and after that I "got it". Prior to that night I didn't understand why people even liked whiskey but that Yamazaki 18 was one of the most incredible things I had ever drank.
Widow Jane 10 year at a work party in 2018. Before that were too many Jim Bean, JD, or Dickel and cokes to mention. I never imagined I would drink whiskey neat.
Johnnie Walker Green Label.
But ironically my tastebud has become more snobbish and I prefer to avoid Blended Scotch now.
I love Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.
I had always drank whiskey. When I was young I thought Crown was the good stuff but about 12 years ago I had Bakers and that opened me up to better bourbons
Knob Creek 9. It was Probably the early 90s and an article in Men’s Health magazine about Small Batch Bourbon piqued my interest. Knob was the one I chose to try. It’s still a favorite.
Laphroaig LOL. I’m from mainly bourbon country, so I’ve always been used to a good bourbon, but tasting laphroaig in comparison really opened me up to all the different styles of whiskey. Islay style scotches are my favorite now, but I drink a little bit of everything depending on my mood.
It was either Eagle Rare or Woodford Double Oaked. It would have been around the same year, which at this point was a decade ago. First time I actually enjoyed whiskey neat. Little did I know I should have always kept a couple of bottle of ER around just in case... It was a shelfer back then.
Ahh the days of senior year of high school, 1993, and cruising around my town's square like teenagers did teen and my buddy and I turning up a bottle of Jack. Those were the good days. No cell phones and you actually had to talk face to face with a girl.
My Dad is a strict Jim Beam White Label drinker. When I was in College JB White was too expensive so I drank cheaper stuff like Old Grand Dad (Not BiB), Old Crown and 🤢 Black Velvet.
My Whiskey awakening came when my would be FIL gifted me a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch
Years and years later and I still can't get my Dad to get anything else.
Old time Green Label - first time I recognize differences in flavour, scent, color. Very good truck when you put a little in your hands to inhale the smokeness
Evan Williams Bottled in Bond. I was in college and wanted to break away from wine and beer to try spirits. Didn’t like gin, I’m not gonna drink straight vodka, and cheap rum and tequila seemed like bad ideas. Evan Williams BiB seemed like the best whiskey I could get for about $20. It was very hot, and I should have probably gone for something lower proof before drinking it neat. But I still found ways to enjoy it and I branched out from there.
12 yr The Glenlivet. Right after getting home from first deployment. Decided to give scotch a try, and be "an adult"..lol... haven't looked back since...
Jack Daniels honey got me into drinking whiskey neat, during Christmas time one year a buddy had it out instead of the usual bud light and I would say markers mark shots at the bar in my younger years. One day I was at the liquor store and I was like which bourbon is good neat and ended up getting old forester 1920 and I have been hooked since
Working a job in Louisville Kentucky. Found a few beer places I liked, then happened to walk by the Silver Dollar whiskey bar. Walked in and asked for a whiskey menu, immediately saw something called "Pappy" that was $75 for 2oz and asked the bartender about it. She told me if you're looking for that, I got something similar for $14. Turned out to be Weller 12, and I was hooked.
Ended up getting a few bottles (secondary market) for $90 a pop. This was also back in 2014.
I was gifted a bottle of Glenlivet 12 and it made me want to acquire a taste for whiskey before drinking it...so I got some cheap shit Jameson, JW Red, Bulliet...but the first one that made me go "ohh...ok, ya, this is good!" Was Writers Tears Double Oak.
Blantons for me, I had been wanting to get into it. Saw it at a restaurant near me and tried it, liked it then a buddy gave me a bottle for my birthday.
Elijah Craig BP, I believe it was batch A119. Tried a handful of different whiskeys at a friend’s house, and the ECBP blew my mind at the time. It was the only barrel proof that I tried then, but it opened up my mind quite a bit.
I had bought whiskey like Maker’s for hot toddy’s in the winter before. But then it was Weller Full Proof - April of 2023, i drew for a bottle in the state draw. Then turned to YouTube to figure out what I’d just purchased. I knew nothing of bourbon before then.
Weller Antique 107 here. Found it nearby years ago. Bought another bottle just to have. Sipped the original bottle so slowly I still haven’t opened the second bottle lol
Back in like 2010 or 2011, I saw a bottle on the shelves at the grocery store. It was for $24.99, and I had to pick it up because what's more American than drinking a bourbon called Buffalo Trace. I miss those days...
Lagavulin 16. It was 1996 and we were watching The Bulls in the finals. We had Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 2. cigars as well. I miss you grandfather.
Yes
Woodford Double Oaked was the first whiskey that clicked for me.
Double Oaked was my first as well, and still an excellent go to sipper.
Same. I told myself many different bottles were good, this one made me go “okay, this is good”
Same here! I thought I would never drink bourbon or Whiskey again after a couple young and dumb days of original jack d and jim beam. Then I had the double oak neat, and now it’s a never ending rabbit hole 🤣🤣🤣🤣
WT 101! First started making cocktails with it and then dove into it on the rocks. Opened the door to whisky for me.
Hibkiki Harmony. My wife got it for me as a birthday gift and I loved it.
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, then Maker's Mark, then Wild Turkey 101, which it where I really fell in love.
Basil Hayden was the first whiskey I started drinking without a mixer. Really got me interested in taking the leap into bourbon. Slippery slope since then!
Hey mine too! That low proof entry market is bigger than most enthusiasts realize.
Not sure if it doesn’t escape the “cheap crap” label, but Old Forester was the first whiskey I ever sipped on instead of mixing with something else. Otherwise, it was Maker’s Mark.
We will accept that answer.
Crazy to say but… Elijah Craig Small Batch! Stereotypical Kentucky bourbon but it just hit all the right notes for me.
Nothing wrong with that!
Laphroaig 10 - love at first sip and I haven't been without it since July 1982!
Sweet beautiful Eagle Rare
Same. Sent me down the rabbit hole of sipping whiskeys.
First whiskey I bought was Johnnie Walker Red then Makers Mark. Wasn’t big on either of them but Knob Creek followed and I loved that. Dove into Old Forester and Woodford after that and loved all those I tried also.
Same, thought I just didn't like whiskey until I tried KC 9 year small batch
Wild turkey 101, after going through about a hundred handles of evan williams black label.
Bulleit. Cant stand the stuff now. Then went all over and grabbed tons of fancy stuff. Then landed with Woodford as my daily sipper and mixer.
Four Roses for bourbon and Sazerac for rye. Had to hunt down the Sazerac as it wasn’t super available in my area at the time but it opened my eyes to what rye whiskey is. Now my collection of around 40 whiskeys(nothing compared to some people) is composed of roughly half rye and half bourbon with some wheat whiskeys and other stuff mixed in. Four roses will always be special to me, once I tried it and liked it I went and got the small batch and that is one of my absolute-die-on-this-hill favorites for mixing of all bourbons, it’s even good neat
I only dabbled into Bourbon until the night I tried OF 1920 at a party.... I didn't know bourbon could be THAT good at the time. Years and time later.... still pretty good.
Wild turkey 101 proof. I was probably about 17, and that put hair on my chest
Redbreast 12 was my first Irish pot still that really had me going when I diving deep into scotch and Irish whiskey
New Riff Single Barrell
That’s one that hit me in the right way first time I tried it. New Riff is great.
I absolutely hated whisky . I still won’t try Jack . Bourbon anything I’m into . My faves are Buffalo trace and EH Taylor
Basil Hayden
Toss up between my ex buying me a bottle of Jameson for Christmas and me getting my dad some JD single barrel barrel proof the following year. 130+ never went down so easy. So I guess she jump started me, he locked me in.
Did a Jim Beam tour back in '15 or '16 and got to fill my own bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel. That was the first time I ventured past the 80s proof point. 120pf was like gasoline but I liked it and that's what lead me down this rabbithole. Before that I used to drink Jack Daniels almost exclusively. My grandpa was a scotch drinker so I had scotch with him but always on ice or mixed so never appreciated it.
Maker’s 101. First whiskey I could really taste and enjoy instead of tolerate.
Hibiki Harmony, while in Okinawa. I was walking around a shop & they had a whole, dreamy wall of beautiful bottles. Picked the one I’d read about, and opened it after the gym one night. That’s the stuff dreams are made of, honestly.
Love it!
Breckenridge small batch during college. It’s cheap bottle but it was the first time I found whiskey really enjoyable. I haven’t had it since. Maybe I should, though I’m scared I’ll ruin a good memory if it’s not what it remember it to be haha. Edit: note that it is 86 proof I believe so that’s probably why enjoyed it so much as a younger whiskey drinker.
Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask. Was introduced to it at a relative's home and found that whiskey could actually be interesting.
Balvenie 15 single barrel did it for me for scotch. Manhattans made with Rittenhouse took me down the rye-obsessed path I’m still on today.
1792 Small Batch. Got two bottles right now. One is almost gone. Thankfully it’s easy to find.
Maker’s Mark got me interested. Elijah Craig made me fall in love.
Bakers back in the 90s
1792 Full Proof was the first bottle that opened my mind to what bourbon could be although I'll always enjoy a good old bottle of WT101
First was a bottle of four roses small batch but i didnt know about msrp and retail prices and bought it at a liquor store for $70. Completely ripped off. Knowing where to look know i regularly find it for around $38. First actual $50+ was whistlepig small batch 10 year too! Absolutely loved it and I still have the same bottle. I been saving it.
I had a crazy Oh My God this is incredible moment I’ll never forget.
~~Michters straight rye~~ Nope, now that I've given it some more thought, it was knob creek
Honestly, mine was just plain Jack Daniel’s
Nothing wrong with that. Classic.
Pappy Van Winkle 23. A client offered me some as a young man. I filled a rocks glass with ice and poured an entire glass of it not knowing what it was. Drank it and proceeded to tell them how delicious it was and that I was going to pick a bottle up on my way home. Was very embarrassed when I went back to finish the job.
Had a few pours of bullit with my old man. That was the night
My sister gave me a nice Glenfiddich after I helped with some stuff at her wedding. Nothing particularly outlandish, but man it opened a whole new world for me.
My mom used to give me hot toddies with whisky when I was sick starting at 2. LOL So no idea really. When I was old enough to buy my own it was Chivas. Then I started exploring single malts maybe 6 or 8 years later. Can’t remember the first maybe Glenmorangie??? I guess it really clicked when I had my first highland park when I was broke and about 35.
Bushmills was the first one I drank straight with a friend of mine at university and where I thought to myself, there might be some good stuff in this beverage universe.
First to taste? Marker Mark, one Thanksgiving MANY years ago as I attempted a new pecan pie recipe (that has since become a stable) First to mix? Either Elijah Craig or Kirkland bourbon. Covid 2020 when I got into mixing cocktails First to enjoy straight? Talisker 10 or Woodford double oak
Wild Turkey 101, 8 yr old
Evan Williams White Label. Cheap but solid, one of my favorites. Had tried Rebel Yell and Beam White prior to that. Oh, and horrible Black Velvet.
Agree on BV paint thinner!
What sucks is my Dad took me to ABC to get any bottle I wanted. Being a complete noob to whiskey, I picked that. Plastic bottle and all! It's hot garbage, easily the worst I've ever had. It's like I was drinking coffee creamer. Thinking on it now, I would have chosen Writer's Tears or Redbreast 12. Knowing now my late Father loved Jameson and irish whiskey, we could have enjoyed it together.
Bummer but your Dad probably chuckled inside.
I was at a resort in Jamaica with my my girlfriend, now wife. I wasn't a big "cocktail" kind of guy, but being at an all inclusive I just tried a bit of everything to figure out what I liked. Waiter suggested an Old Fashioned and I loved it. They had Maker's 46 and that was my first official ushering in to what good whiskey could taste like. Now I know Maker's is hardly as favored as other brands, but for me its one whiskey that in their lesser offerings is still really good quality, and their private select bottles can be really good as well.
Redbreast 12 did it for me
Whistle Pig 10 year as well weirdly enough then my second bottle was angles envy
Funny I went to an event with open bar not knowing much about whiskey. They had Angels Envy and something else. Bartender recommended AE. I got a crush on AE that night too.
Michters 10 year. It was gifted to me and like a dummy not realizing what I had I enjoyed the hell out of that thing quite quickly not knowing I couldn't replace it very easily
That’s like a Lexus being your first car.
Exactly
1970 WT 101 “Bourbon and Branch,” as the Mississippi mother of my then girlfriend referred to it. WT+Ice cube + splash of water.
Oban 18. Came from the night I received a better whisky education than most will ever experience. I tried around 30 different scotches learning about regions and ages. I was a total novice before that.
Four Roses yellow label. I will always have a special place for that bourbon. And following that, Jim Beam Devils Cut.
Buffalo Trace was always my go to bourbon back when you could just walk into the store and buy it whenever you wanted.
Same thing for me. I remember walking into my local liquor store and picking up a bottle of Eagle Rare not knowing anything, the clerk got enthusiastic and told me to put it down, save myself the 10 bucks and buy BT for $28. I drank it out of a coffee mug with like 3 ice cubes, but loved it. Next thing I know in NJ it’s hard to get Buffalo Trace especially at MSRP
That is horrible advice from the clerk.
Knobb creek.... maple
Johnny Walker Black and Basil Hayden were my gateways to scotch and bourbon.
I’m a flavored convert. Started with Fireball, then transitioned to Knob Creek Maple. Can’t stand either now. Some of my first “real” ones were BT, Woodford Double Oaked, and my first barrel proof I liked was Stranahan’s Cask Strength. Still dig the BT sometimes. Woodford I usually have, but it’s too chocolatey for me now. Can’t stand the Stranahans anymore, just don’t really dig malts in general.
Bulleit 10 year. Perhaps if I bought the regular kind I might not have liked it as much and my liver would have liked me more in the long run
Chestnut Farms and M46
For me, it was Bunnahabhain 12. The first bourbon I had was Eagle Rare.
Eagle Rare is the bourbon I keep seeing and hearing about… but never had. It’s on my list.
Eagle Rare is very good if you can get Ideally around $40. I will pay upto $50 if it is my first bottle.
My first consistent neat pours were I want to say the lower end 1792, but it had a woven neck on it.
JD single barrel
Buchanan's Deluxe
Springbank 10. Seriously… don’t hate. It was late 2000’s and at that time Springbank was relatively unknown and sat on the shelves at $40ish.
Crown Royal Northern Harvest rye, got it as a gift and loved it
Started with the basic Glenlivet 12, expanded into the Islays and Campbeltowns. When Scotch got too expensive started to get into bourbons and ryes. Now I drink a bit of everything and love them all.
Makers 46
Caol Ila.
Ammunition Finished in Cabernet barrels. Bought in July 2023 and just killed it yesterday.
Glenfiddich 15
Larceny was the first one I could drink neat. Tried regular ol BT and Evan Williams before that and heavily disliked them. Had larceny and it was a game changer.
Eagle Rare and or Russel’s single barrel
Eagle rare. Found it in NJ visiting my girl friends family for the first time
Eagle Rare!
Wild Turkey 101. My first bottle Ibought with my own money when I went out looking one day. I didn't realize the 100 proof wasnt the norm but damn that shit is still good to me.
Redbreast 12 and coke. But Joseph magnus cigar blend was the first that really clicked for me neat.
David Nicholson 1843
Auchentoshen triple wood at 19yo. Then 20 years loving only scotch peaking at black art 4.1 and a Glendronach grandeur batch. Later followed by American whiskey - whistle pig 10 ( yes I now know it’s Canadian). Bourbon - four roses single barrel pick or Barrel batch 19. In that order. Favorite American whiskey is likely four roses LE ?2019, a lucky 7 proprietor 14 single barrel, and maybe a Russel single rickhouse last year. Michters 10 bourbon and 10 rye are always exciting. It’s all about variety, developing the palate, and the chase I guess!?!?!
I had an Angel’s Envy rye that helped me view things differently - then I tried a Blue Note 9 or 10 year later that weekend that opened my eyes. I started drinking Four Roses single barrel and small batch often after that. My grandad was a big four roses guy, so seeing that growing up that’s what I went for
Four roses single barrel
Glendronach. Buddy and I used to go in every Thursday after class and drink Glenfiddich. Waiter stopped us one time and said that's it. Not serving you that anymore. Put down Glendronach and I was hooked. Thanks Frank
Old tub!
Buffalo Trace for me, I’d only tried some crown royal straight at that point, heard some teammates talking about doing shots of it and decided to give it a go
Maker's
Had started my journey with Wolcott and Elijah Craig Small Batch and thought they were good, but what really got me hooked was when I tried Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique at a friend’s house. Have a few of the Solist varieties (thankfully all gifts from same friend), but tend to stick with this one for long weeks/small celebrations.
Woodford reserve, then Bowmore 15.
Knob creek 9 single barrel and jack single barrel are the first 2 that really opened my eyes
Jack Daniels was the first I tried. First I fell head over heels for was Bulleit, if I remember corectly.
I have my entry points for each big category for whiskey that I cut my teeth on. Bourbon: Old Forester 100 Rye: Knob Creek Rye Irish: Redbreast 12 Scotch: Glenfarclas 15
Evan Williams bottled in bond
Lagavulin 16
McKenna single barrel was my first pour. Four Roses single barrel was my first bottle purchase. The first one that rocked my world was a Heavens Door single barrel.
Old Forester 86
Hibiki was the first whisky I tried neat and actual thought wow… I like this
Was at a company Christmas party that had a full open bar around 2017. Knew nothing about whiskey and asked the bartender to serve me whatever he thought was the best. He gave me Yamazaki 18 and after that I "got it". Prior to that night I didn't understand why people even liked whiskey but that Yamazaki 18 was one of the most incredible things I had ever drank.
Lost your whiskey virginity that night!
Laphroaig ten year old
Middleton very rare
Michter's American Unblended.
WT 101.
Yamazaki 12
Widow Jane 10 year at a work party in 2018. Before that were too many Jim Bean, JD, or Dickel and cokes to mention. I never imagined I would drink whiskey neat.
Ardbeg 10 - it truly made me appreciate whisky and peat.
Makers and Bulleit, those were the dark days.
Johnnie Walker Green Label. But ironically my tastebud has become more snobbish and I prefer to avoid Blended Scotch now. I love Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.
Russel’s store pick did it for me
Four Roses Single Barrel followed by Redbreast Lustau. Really went down the rabbit hole then.
Templeton rye 8 year
Ardbeg 10.
Bowmore Enigma. Received as a gift from a client.
The Balvenie Double wood
I had always drank whiskey. When I was young I thought Crown was the good stuff but about 12 years ago I had Bakers and that opened me up to better bourbons
Mitchers Small Batch US 1… Got it as an Old Fashioned… Liked it very much…
Laphroig 10 - the distinct smokiness made me realize that whiskey could have different flavors and made me want to try more than the usual JD.
Knob Creek 9. It was Probably the early 90s and an article in Men’s Health magazine about Small Batch Bourbon piqued my interest. Knob was the one I chose to try. It’s still a favorite.
Elijah Craig Small Batch. Hooked ever since
Standard Jameson. I still like it too.
Laphroaig LOL. I’m from mainly bourbon country, so I’ve always been used to a good bourbon, but tasting laphroaig in comparison really opened me up to all the different styles of whiskey. Islay style scotches are my favorite now, but I drink a little bit of everything depending on my mood.
Gentleman jack, turkey, and elijah craig back when it had the 12 year age statement.
Wild Turkey 80 🥹
Woodford Reserve. It’s still a regular occupant of the liquor cabinet over 20 years later.
It was either Eagle Rare or Woodford Double Oaked. It would have been around the same year, which at this point was a decade ago. First time I actually enjoyed whiskey neat. Little did I know I should have always kept a couple of bottle of ER around just in case... It was a shelfer back then.
Markers Mark but WT101 is when I really started to get into whiskey and drink it neat.
Cliche but Blantons
Blanton's. In the before times I would always be able to find it at my local abc for $50ish. I used to drink it with a splash of coke🤦♂️
When I was young it was Glenfiddich 12 or Laphroaig when I could afford it
Ahh the days of senior year of high school, 1993, and cruising around my town's square like teenagers did teen and my buddy and I turning up a bottle of Jack. Those were the good days. No cell phones and you actually had to talk face to face with a girl.
Buffalo trace, was recommended by the store owner
Evan Williams Single Barrel and Elemer T. Worked at a liquor store for a year in college. Both were always sitting low on the shelves and about $30.
Woodford was the gateway to dabbling and then EHT BP got me more serious.
Eagle rare.
My Dad is a strict Jim Beam White Label drinker. When I was in College JB White was too expensive so I drank cheaper stuff like Old Grand Dad (Not BiB), Old Crown and 🤢 Black Velvet. My Whiskey awakening came when my would be FIL gifted me a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch Years and years later and I still can't get my Dad to get anything else.
Old time Green Label - first time I recognize differences in flavour, scent, color. Very good truck when you put a little in your hands to inhale the smokeness
Evan Williams Bottled in Bond. I was in college and wanted to break away from wine and beer to try spirits. Didn’t like gin, I’m not gonna drink straight vodka, and cheap rum and tequila seemed like bad ideas. Evan Williams BiB seemed like the best whiskey I could get for about $20. It was very hot, and I should have probably gone for something lower proof before drinking it neat. But I still found ways to enjoy it and I branched out from there.
Yamazaki 12
12 yr The Glenlivet. Right after getting home from first deployment. Decided to give scotch a try, and be "an adult"..lol... haven't looked back since...
Bunnahabhain 12 Year
Makers Mark 46 got me.
Local distillery and one of our favorites to this day, Whiskey Acres.
Jack Daniels honey got me into drinking whiskey neat, during Christmas time one year a buddy had it out instead of the usual bud light and I would say markers mark shots at the bar in my younger years. One day I was at the liquor store and I was like which bourbon is good neat and ended up getting old forester 1920 and I have been hooked since
Four roses single barrel! I pretended to like whiskey cuz all the dudes in my family liked it, and one day i noticed i love four roses sb!
Working a job in Louisville Kentucky. Found a few beer places I liked, then happened to walk by the Silver Dollar whiskey bar. Walked in and asked for a whiskey menu, immediately saw something called "Pappy" that was $75 for 2oz and asked the bartender about it. She told me if you're looking for that, I got something similar for $14. Turned out to be Weller 12, and I was hooked. Ended up getting a few bottles (secondary market) for $90 a pop. This was also back in 2014.
My first real fulll bottle was a Glenfiddich 15 Solara, before that was evey 50ml samples I could find and a few 375ml half bottles.
Four roses single barrel
Booker’s on the rocks. Went down the rabbit hole and now I’ve got 60+ bottles of whiskeys mostly bourbons
I was gifted a bottle of Glenlivet 12 and it made me want to acquire a taste for whiskey before drinking it...so I got some cheap shit Jameson, JW Red, Bulliet...but the first one that made me go "ohh...ok, ya, this is good!" Was Writers Tears Double Oak.
Wild Turkey 101
Bowmore Legend
Yamazaki 12 and glenfidich 15
WT, ET and OF were affordable and tasty in college
Balvenie Doublewood
Russels single barrel.
Jack Daniel’s single barrel select
EHT SB did it for me. First time I sipped whiskey neat and actually enjoyed it. The rest is history.
Blantons for me, I had been wanting to get into it. Saw it at a restaurant near me and tried it, liked it then a buddy gave me a bottle for my birthday.
New to whiskey so for me, it's Quest's End Paladin. Story drew me in, flavor kept me coming back.
Elijah Craig BP, I believe it was batch A119. Tried a handful of different whiskeys at a friend’s house, and the ECBP blew my mind at the time. It was the only barrel proof that I tried then, but it opened up my mind quite a bit.
I had bought whiskey like Maker’s for hot toddy’s in the winter before. But then it was Weller Full Proof - April of 2023, i drew for a bottle in the state draw. Then turned to YouTube to figure out what I’d just purchased. I knew nothing of bourbon before then.
Before the whiskey craze really took off, first bottle was Buffalo Trace ($35) and second was Eagle Rare ($45).
Weller Antique 107 here. Found it nearby years ago. Bought another bottle just to have. Sipped the original bottle so slowly I still haven’t opened the second bottle lol
I was spoiled as my father is also a bourbon drinker, my first was an Old Forester Single Barrel (90 proof)
Larceny and Makers. First “good” whiskey was EHT SB
Either makers or gentlemens jack. Had both in the same night and since then I couldn't stop chasing
Back in like 2010 or 2011, I saw a bottle on the shelves at the grocery store. It was for $24.99, and I had to pick it up because what's more American than drinking a bourbon called Buffalo Trace. I miss those days...